“It feels like I am a million miles away from where I might have been, had God not interrupted my life from the course it was taking. I've gone from being a ‘Lost Boy’ of Sudan to a proud U.S. citizen who is loved and cared for by so many people in this country – no longer ‘lost!’” –Lopez Lomong

Today is Nelson Mandela International Day! In honor and remembrance of him, Aimee N'simire Manimani, former World Vision communications officer in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, reflects on how Nelson Mandela influenced her career as an aid worker.

Violet visiting her sponsored child Cedric and his family in Uganda, whom she sponsored at a Casting Crowns concert. (Photo: Violet Galaviz)

Looking ahead to Valentine's Day on Friday, we want to give thanks for the love you have shown us, our work, and the children and communities we serve around the world. We can't do this work without you! Thank you for your love … we love you, too!

In today's photoblog, five teams here at World Vision each highlight one of their supporters that has been influential and inspirational to them.

The Winter Olympics opening ceremonies are today! As we look forward to the Sochi games, we bring you the story of Enkelejda in Albania, who competed in volleyball tournaments through World Vision's Librazhd community ... and had the life-changing opportunity to meet an Olympian!

U.S. Olympian Lopez Lomong gives Travis Blanton a pep talk during an exchange point at the Hood to Coast Relay. (Photo: Wes Kriesel)

As we approach the opening ceremonies of the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia on Friday, we take a look back at the summer games of 2012 in London, and our friend and supporter Lopez Lomong who competed in the Men’s 5,000 Meter.

This photo series and video show Lomong running this past summer with Team World Vision in the Hood to Coast relay event in Oregon.

A girl in Sri Lanka at a World Vision program's closing ceremony, featured in our photoblog "A beginning and an end" in May. (Photo: Matthew Paul Turner)

2013 was a very busy year! The social media team ran and supported a wide variety of programs and work, sharing joy, answering the question Why World Vision?, promoting books and films, and responding to disasters. Out of the hundreds of blog posts published this year, here’s a list of my – and your! – favorites.

Vote for your favorite! Whichever post gets the most comments below, I’ll look into doing a follow-up post later in 2014!

If we’ve learned anything from visual social media — Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram — we know well how quickly and fully a simple photo can bring us joy! Today, let’s share joy with our online communities by sharing some of our favorite photos. Here’s a photo blog of favorites chosen by World Vision’s amazing team of photographers!

In Romania, World Vision goats are providing families with the means to feed their children and send them to school. Today, let’s meet Sebastian, who has hope for his family’s future and understands well the wisdom of God’s provision.

This Christmas season, join us as we come together to share #joy with the world! Every day in December until Christmas, follow our Advent-style project and complete the daily challenges to bring joy to the people around you and around the world.

Marina and Vjollca grew up on opposite sides of the Serbian-Albanian conflict. Now, as co-workers with World Vision, they've become friends. Together, they're working to break down the barriers between their cultures and to change the mentality of the next generation through World Vision's summer camps.

I went to Kosovo to learn about friendship between Serbian and Albanian children. Growing up in Albania, I often heard how these two groups live and work in close proximity but hardly ever interact.

I wanted to explore the friendships forming between the two groups of the new generation. It seemed the best place to do this was from the inside, so attending one of World Vision’s summer camps was a good place to start.

World Vision writer Kari Costanza contrasts the life of her son, Nicholas, with the life of a young man she met in Tanzania, named Nikolaus. Both college-aged, her son Nicholas is in college pursuing his dreams; Nikolaus and his family are struggling to have hope for the future.

Find out how World Vision's programs will soon offer Nikolaus that hope.

As an event coordinator with the World Vision Experience, Kristin McGunnigle tours the country, bringing World Vision's work around the world directly to you. Beginning with the Step into Africa exhibit four years ago, this year she has been coordinating the latest rendition of the Experience: Kisongo Trek.

Today's story comes from southern Ethiopia, one of the best coffee-growing regions in the world! Through a World Vision training and fair trade program, coffee grower Tesfaye now brings in enough income to support his family and send his children to school, giving them hope for the future.

After being at World Vision for over 27 years, you start to think you’ve seen it all. But every trip to the field is unique. I took a team of four other people to Tanzania last December to film the new World Vision Experience: Kisongo Trek, and it was life-changing.